Skulduggery Pleasant: Kingdom of the Wicked
by fanficgurl57
Summary: Magic is a disease. Kitana and her friends recieve magic, becoming far too powerful for their own good. Corrupt, evil, and set on destroying the city and then the world , the duo detectives must stop them for good, while facing the trouble of staying hidden from the public eye.
1. An Unexpected Arrival

**A/N: Hey people! Yeah, so I read Death Bringer (Thank you Hannah for lending it to me) and I can't wait for Kingdom of the Wicked. So I decided to try (try being the KEY word) to write my own version. Yes, I know, I am not Derek Landy, and may not have the same style of writing as him, but I DO enjoy writing. I am currently looking for a writer to Beta my story, so any suggestions? Also my other story, The Last Revenge, might not be updated for a while since I am working on this one. Ughh, sorry for the long note you probably stopped reading halfway through (I know I did). It's only for the first chapter. Enjoy!**

Chapter 1- An Unexpected Arrival

It had been four days.

Four days since she had last seen Skulduggery, slowly driving the Bentley away from China's flat. Four days since she had heard his voice gently teasing her, helping her forget the memories of the past day, where Darquesse had taken over, and she, Valkyrie, had lost all ties to humanity. Four days since she had received a single text message, note, or midnight call from him

It had been two days since Caelan had died, choking on the seawater while trying to end the lives of her and Fletcher. Two days, since Fletcher had gone to the Sanctuary, bleeding almost to death. Valkyrie had stayed with him the entire time as Nye patched him up, doing almost as good a job as to equal Kenspeckle.

Now, here Valkyrie was; holed up inside Skulduggery's house like a chipmunk in winter, meditating, waiting in silence for Skulduggery to come back. There were two places she knew he would eventually return to. Of those, she covered one, while Gordon covered the other, promising to call on his voice activated phone if Skulduggery returned.

She kept waiting to hear a call from Ghastly. It was almost inevitable in her mind that China wasn't going to die at Skulduggery's skeletal hands, or at least, at his gun. But the phone she had placed on the coffee table didn't ring once. Maybe they thought she wanted time alone, but... Valkyrie shrugged the thought away and continued meditating. Like a comforting friend, the silence had enveloped her in a hug for the past two days. She didn't move, didn't speak, didn't even eat; just let her thoughts consume her.

That was why, when the telephone rang for the first time, it was like the sound of a cannon going off in Valkyrie's ear, and she jumped in shock, almost toppling off the chair. Her hands fumbled clumsily for the phone, and her stiff muscles and joints groaned in protest of her sharp movements. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Valkyrie pressed the answer button. She took a deep breath, just to brace herself for the worst.

"Hello?" She whispered, voice hoarse and rough from non-use. She coughed and moistened her lips and tongue, then tried again. "Hello?"

The other end of the line was silent for a while, but Valkyrie could hear the person fidgeting softly, so she waited in the half-dreaded, half-expectant silence.

"Val." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Suddenly it seemed as if Valkyrie was 13 again, her worries being swept away by that clear confident, deep voice. She needed to tell him so many things, but she didn't, she just sat there hanging on to the phone, clenching it so hard, her knuckles turned white.

"I'm sorry," Skulduggery continued. "I left you there when you needed my support. I failed you." He left it at that, his words sounded hollow and tired, with more than a hint of sadness.

"Skul, I-I..." Valkyrie shook her head to clear it. "No one blames you, least of all me. We're partners, we save each other, and we don't judge. You're still my best friend, no matter what."

Skulduggery didn't answer.

"Listen to me Skulduggery Pleasant!" Valkyrie said, a little more than annoyed. "You had better come back. If you don't, I will find you and drag you back. Besides, I know you're going to have to come back sometime."

"How do you figure?" Skulduggery inquired, his voice a little more like his normal self.

"You only took one suit and one hat."

"Good point."

"Where are you?"

"Down the street. I was waiting for you to leave, but I got worried when you didn't eat or drink."

"So you've been close this whole time, and you didn't call? God Skulduggery, do you know how worried I was?" Valkyrie's relief at him being alive was starting to ebb away into annoyance.

"I needed to be alone for a while." This time the voice didn't come out of the phone's speakers, but from close behind her. Valkyrie craned her neck sharply behind her. There, Skulduggery stood, phone and hat in hand, soaking wet from the top of his skull to his shoes. At the back of her mind she realized it must be raining outside, but her main concentration was focused on that he was **here. **

** "**Skulduggery"

He opened his arms wide as she stood up slowly. A grin stretched across Valkyries face and she took a step forward, towards the open arms. Suddenly the floor seemed to shift and she was tumbling towards the wooden floor. The only thing that saved her from having her face smashed was Skulduggery's leap to grab her. He helped her sit down on his couch - dripping an enormous amount of water all over her - and was adamant about her not getting up.

"You're weak from lack of food. Stay sitting down." He ordered, kneeling next to her.

"But-" Valkyrie protested weakly.

"No buts, Val. Just listen to me, please." Skulduggery stood up, and started walking away.

"Where are you going?" Valkyrie called after him in a worried tone.

Skulduggery paused and turned around, his eyeless sockets seeming to stare at her. "To get you some food. The only thing I have here are Brussels sprouts."

Valkyrie made a face. "Okay, but promise me you'll come back."

Skulduggery's voice was soft and pained. "Of course. Partners don't leave each other." He tapped the symbols carved into his collar bone and a façade stretched over his bones. It was a nice one, with ice blue eyes, and wavy black hair. He put on his hat and opened the front door. Valkyrie raised an eyebrow.

"Uhhh, Skul? You do realize you're still soaking wet, right"

He pause at where he was shutting the door behind him, and waved his right hand. All the water lifted off his suit and hat, and evaporated into the air. He gave her one last smile and left. Valkyrie sighed and closed her eyes. She hadn't slept for the past days, only meditated, and now exhaustion was taking its toll. She gave a big yawn and let her mind slowly drift off. Skulduggery was back and she knew it would be for good.

**A/N: Soooo, was it good? I read that Derek Landy had finished his first draft of Kingdom of the Wicked, I flipped out. I love the series and absolutely cannot wait for its August/September release date. Thank God for Amazon Previews and release-day delivery! I know you get this all the time, I am guilty of not doing it either, but please review! The greatest joy of an author is to get reviews, good or bad, because it means people are reading (and hopefully enjoying) the story. Any questions? Oh yes, do you want Valduggery? Ghanith? Fletcherie (*ughhh*)? Shorter Author notes? Thanks!**

**-FFGurl**


	2. Dark Dreams

**A/N: Okay, Chapter two. I don't want to rush things; I want to write this as if it were a real book, so I'm not going to jump immediately into action like some stories. Read and Review!**

Chapter Two – Dark Dreams

_She was powerful. _

_Magic filled every inch of her being, intoxicating to her mind and body alike. People, magical and mortal, cowered in fear, those who stood up for them crushed beneath her wrath. She showed no humanity, no love, no qualities similar to the person she had once been. A small part in the back of her mind cried out, struggling vainly to free itself from the bonds that held it tight._

_You can't do this! _The voice screamed.

_Oh, but I can. _She replied.

_She watched in amusement as the people who she had once called friends were destroyed by her hand, her magic, one by one. First Ghastly, then China, and so on, until none were left. The voice screamed out its loss, and the girl smiled a wild, maniacal smile. Her parents rushed towards her. She crushed them to dust, while a wail came from a small child who ran towards where her parents had stood seconds before. The wails annoyed her, so she crushed the child to dust too._

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! _The voice screeched an intense wave of anger building. _No._ The cry was softer this time, mourning the loss.

_Suddenly a man appeared, walking out of the dust and rubble of a fallen building. He wore a tattered suit, and a hat that covered his eyes, but she recognised him all the same._

"_So," The girl laughed. "Come to have another go at stopping me again? I told you I'd only get stronger, and so I have."_

"_Give her back." The man's voice was determined. "I want her back. I know she's in there, and I know she's struggling to get out."_

_The girl sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you? I am her, she is me. We're one and the same. I'm just more powerful than her."_

_The man waited before answering. "You said her."_

"_What?" The girl's face screwed up in confusion._

_That's when the man struck. He put up a good fight, better than any other person that had tried to take her on, but it wasn't enough to beat her. She played along, just to give him a sense of hope, knowing that she could beat him easily if she tried. Eventually, she got bored. She put out her hand preparing to end his life. The little voice was yelling, trying its best to distract her. When it realized it wasn't going to work, she switched to begging._

_Please! PLEASE! Don't hurt him! DON'T! _It begged, but the girl didn't listen.

_She slowly sucked the life out of the man, and he clattered to the ground, just an empty pile of bones with no life._

_ –_

Valkyrie awoke to hear screaming. She jumped up wildly looking for the source, until it gradually dawned on her that it been her who had screamed in the first place. Her dream was still vivid in her mind and she shivered, not from the cold. It was pitch black outside, and the rain hammered the windows, a steady, pattering beat. Thunder grumbled, and her stomach followed close behind.

Food. She needed food. But Skulduggery was getting it for her wasn't he? Panic rose inside her. Had it all been a dream? Had Skulduggery just been a figment of her imagination, a hallucination her mind had created?

Her worries were erased when she heard the sound of the key turning in the lock. The door opened, and a flash of lightning illuminated the silhouette of the person standing there, hat on head and holding a box in his hands. The aroma of fresh baked pizza drifted towards her, and the growling in her stomach sounded as if she had a pack of wolves in there. He turned on the light, and Valkyrie blinked, her eyes trying to adjust to the sudden brightness.

"You looked like the Grim Reaper Pizza Delivery Boy standing there in the doorway." She ribbed.

"What can I say? I try." Skulduggery replied, handing her the box and a can of pop. "Anything eventful happen while I was gone?"

There was a long pause. "I had a nightmare about Darquesse." She finally admitted.

"Oh." He said abruptly serious. "Do you want to talk about it? You can tell me anything, you know."

"I know, Skul. It's the same as always. Power, killing people, killing more people…" She didn't want to mention that this time she, Darquesse, had killed him. Her emotions at that part of the dream were complicated, and the anger the human part of her brain had felt had been stronger than when Darquesse had killed her parents and Alice. She shook her head, and realised that Skulduggery had been trying to get her attention.

"Sorry. I spaced out." She mumbled taking a bite of the pizza, warm and gooey, cheese sticking in her mouth.

"I realised." He said dryly. "But you can't help but feel like a fool when you're waving your hand in front of someone's face for five whole minutes."

The corners of Valkyrie's mouth twitched up. "Are you going to tell me what you were saying? Or are you just going to keep going on about your hurt pride? If it's the last one, I'm going to space out again." She threatened playfully.

"Fine." Skulduggery said. "I'll tell you what I was saying. We have a new case, it appears. I received a call from Ghastly on my way to get you pizza. There seems to have been some sort of magical disturbance in Dublin."

"And…"

"And what?"

"Well, you couldn't be any more specific, now, could you?"

"You know I don't care about details. They're unimportant." He responded with an air of snobbishness.

Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. One second. Two seconds. Three Seconds.

"Okay, I give in. There aren't any details." Skulduggery finally said, hands u in the air as a gesture of surrender.

"And you didn't say this in the first place, why?"

"Because it annoys me when we both have the same level of intelligence on a case. I, being the senior detective, should always have more information on a case. That way, my underlings can do stuff for me."

"I totally do not grasp your logic"

"No one beside me can. It's the benefit of being me. There's a new set of clothes on your bed when you're finished, by the way."

"Are we leaving **now**? It's like, -"

"11:00 sharp."

"My point exactly."

Skulduggery shrugged. "I know. If it were up to me, I'd let you rest. But as they say, duty never sleeps."

"Oh well." Valkyrie sighed. "The Bentley has pretty comfortable seats."

She speedily consumed the last bite of the pizza and guzzled down the rest of the pop, then dashed upstairs to her room. A new set of clothes, made of the same dark material as always, lay folded neatly and precise on the edge of her comforter. She snatched them, and walked into her bathroom, turning on the shower as she grabbed her towel and stripped off her old clothes. She stepped into the shower, being careful not to slip on the wet tiles, and sighed in pleasure as the scalding water warmed her stiff muscles. She scrubbed herself clean, rubbing the shampoo through her long hair and then out of it. When the water took a chilly edge, Valkyrie regretfully turned it off, and walked out of the shower into the adjoining bathroom.

Steam swirled through the air as Valkyrie moved, turning the bathroom into a mysterious, ghostly place. She grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her body, hugging it close to retain some of the warmth from the shower. Valkyrie walked swiftly into her room, where Skulduggery sat motionless on her bed, hat over her eyes.

"I'm still wondering why you can't do this yourself." He announced to her as she waited patiently. "You are an elemental, aren't you?"

She laughed. "Of course I am Skul, it's just that I awlays end up too dry when I do it."

Skulduggery waved his hand and all the excess moisture evaporated from her hair and skin. Valkyrie dragged a brush through her hair, which had become long, silky, and dark as midnight on her creamy, smooth shoulders. She slid on the specially made pants that were tailored for her, and a shirt.

"You can look now." She told Skulduggery.

Skulduggerry took his hat from his eyes, and placed it on its usual position on his head. "Ready to go?"

"I was born ready." Valkyrie retorted, a cocky grin splitting her face. Skulduggery started to stride towards the door, but stopped when he realised Valkyrie wasn't following. He turned on his heel to where Valkyrie was standing by the window, swiftly undoing the lock.

"Who uses doors anymore? Windows are the fashionable way to go."

Skulduggery tapped his collarbone, allowing the façade to appear. Smiling, he motioned for her to go. "Ladies first."

"Were partners, we go together."

Valkyrie grabbed his hand and together they jumped, floating softly to the ground. They sprinted through the rain to the Bentley, and hopped in. The person who had been watching them from a hidden vantage point smiled a grin full of malice, and slowly stood up.

"It's time we had a little fun."

**Okay, I admit. That was really fun to write. Did you enjoy? I'm still looking for a Beta. Review! **

**As always,**

**F. F.**


	3. Reunion in the Wreckage

**A/N: Hey! I'm back! I had writers block and have been busy, etc. Big day for me next week, so I won't upload for a while. Thanks to all the reviewers and subscribers to the story! I really appreciate it and it keeps me motivated. Enjoy!**

Chapter 3 – Reunion in the Wreckage

The drive to Dublin was an extremely uneventful journey. Half of it, Valkyrie slept softly away, catching up on two days worth of much needed – not to mention wanted – rest. The other half, Valkyrie sat in peaceful silence, watching the world, illuminated by the head lights, rush past in a black and green blur. The pounding rain had receded to a slight drizzle, making the world seem ever gloomier. In this light it almost seemed that monsters of myths and legends could be more than figments of imagination, which Valkyrie already knew was the truth.

The sun was beginning to stretch it tendrils through the darkness when they arrived at the scene of the disturbance. Flashing lights were being emitted from cop cars, as mortal police strode around with bewildered expressions. Geoffrey Scrutinous sat, head in hands, on a wooden bench near the scene. He tiredly raised his head to stare up at them, as Skulduggery and Valkyrie, stepped out of the Bentley and paused to look at the wreckage left in the center of the road. Scrutinous had large black bags hanging depressingly from under his eyes, and his whole body was hunched over. It was plain for their eyes to see the weariness he was bearing.

"It's all yours." He managed to croak, before settling back into his former position.

Valkyrie smiled at him appreciatively, before following Skulduggery over to the mass of cars and torn up pavement that occupied both lanes of the street. She let out a slow whistle.

"I'm pretty sure this counts as more than a magical disturbance."

Skulduggery snorted, but didn't reply. He started examining the scene, meticulously writing down observations and possible clues. Valkyrie joined him and together they waded through the debris,

"I've got nothing." Skulduggery said a few minutes later, a frown etched on the face he wore.

"Same here. Were there any witnesses?" She glanced backed to Scrutinous' still form. If she hadn't known better, she would have assumed he was a statue.

"Not from what I can gather. This whole block was scheduled to be torn down and made into a grocery store, so all the people who used to live here moved to other neighborhoods."

"It seems a little too…" Valkyrie shugged, "I don't know. Fishy."

"I agree entirely with you there." He replied, suddenly serious. "The only reason I could possibly think to make us come here is to draw us into-"

"A trap." Valkyrie finished his sentence.

"Very good, very good."

The sound of someone clapping filled the silence that had taken over the block, and the toes, then the feet, then the torso and finally the head, gradually came into view from behind an overturned car. Valkyrie gave a small gasp of pain, then got her emotions hidden behind a steely, blank face.

"Remnant." The disgust and hatred was clearly evident, in that one word Valkyrie uttered.

"The name's Tanith, dear Valkyrie." She tutted. "Hello to you too, Skulduggery."

"You're not Tanith, you're just some creature that wears her body, and stole her memories." Valkyrie said with venom.

The Remnant sighed. "We could go on and on about this all day, but I'm assuming you want to know why I lured you here?"

"We are the slightest bit curious." Skulduggery said dryly. "Let me guess. It has something to do with killing us and the world."

The Remnant smirked. "You guess correctly, detective."

"It does seem to be a part of the job, sometimes. Now, how do you plan on doing it, so we can foil your dirty little scheme right now, and be home in time for dinner."

"The Magicarnius Plague."

"Gezhuntite."

The Remnant glared, and Valkyrie could have sworn that it was Tanith standing there.

"The Ma-gi-car-nus Plague" She said, annunciating the syllables as if she were talking to a small child.

"Oh, I know what you said, I was just hoping with all of the empty space where my heart used to be, that you hadn't said what I thought you said. Unfortunately, what I though you said, was what you did say."

"I think I followed that. Sort of." Valkyrie interrupted. "Can someone tell me what the heck is going on?"

Both sets of eyes turned and stared at her. Then the Remnant motioned and Skulduggery sighed, beginning the history.

"The Magicarnus Plague was a disease created by sorcerers during the days of witch killings. To avoid being caught and captured, four Adept magicians boded their powers and released their magic on the innocent mortals. Their magic took up new hosts, giving powers to the mortals and causing a diversion to allow the magicians to escape. What they weren't planning on was for the magic to multiply, spreading like a disease through the mortals. Often times, these people ended up killing themselves with their newfound powers. Eventually, the magic-disease was able to be contained, in a small glass jar. If ever opened, the magic would wreck the same, if not greater havoc on this world, exposing the magical community into plain sight."

There was a moment as Valkyrie digested this information. "It sounds like Pandora's Box." She said finally.

"Indeed it does."

"Why on earth would you ever want to release something like that on mortals?" Valkyrie questioned.

"To create havoc and help you fulfill you destiny of becoming Darquesse."

"Hate to break it to you, but that's not happening."

"That's what you think." The Remnant gave an evil grin and Valkyrie shuddered.

"Is it just me, or did that grin make her look like she knows something that we don't?" Valkyrie said quietly at Skulduggery.

"Unfortunately it did."

Suddenly the pavement cracked underneath Valkyrie's feet. Skulduggery pulled her to relative safety, as the one and only Billy-Ray Sanguine stepped out of the ground.

"Hello, lil' darlin'." He said with a casual smirk at Valkyrie. The Remnant strode gracefully over to him, and he wrapped his arm around her waist, kissing her forehead. The Remnant gave them one more smile. "You can try to stop us, but it's too late already." She and Sanguine disappeared as Skulduggery grabbed his gun a second too late to shoot them.

"Damn." He muttered. "This wasn't even a trap; it was a diversion to lure us away from the real action. Damn"

Valkyrie turned around to where all the policemen and Scrutinous lay unconscious. It didn't surprise her, since it had been too quiet earlier, when Tan- no the Remnant had arrived.

"Is there any way to stop it?" She asked hopelessly.

"Yes. It's in a book."

"Good! We can go get it and cure everyone, case closed!" Valkyrie said brightly.

Skulduggery didn't reply.

"Your silence is very reassuring." She said, a bit deflated. "Why?"

"The book was in China's library."

There was a minute of silence.

"The one that blew up." It was a statement.

"Yes. But even if it wasn't in that one, I don't think I could manage to go get it from her summer house without killing her in the process." His tone was carefully guarded."

"Mmm. I agree. Any other copies?"

He sighed. "Yes. At the Dragon's lair."

"What?"

"A thousand-year-old beast that sleeps in a cave in England, and would be very, very mad if awakened to find a person and a skeleton stealing one of his prizes."

"Ahh."

"The China option does seem just a bit more tempting now, doesn't it?"

"It sure does."

"Come on." He turned toward the Bentley.

"Where are we going?"

"To Roarhaven to report about the new developments on this case."

Valkyrie nodded. "What about Scrutinous?"

"What about him?"

"Should we take him with us?"

Skulduggery considered it for a second. "Nah. He needs his beauty sleep."

With that, Skulduggery put his foot to the pedal, and sped away down the road.

**A/N: Good? Sorry if there are mistakes, it's a bit late at night, and I'm still looking for a Beta. Any suggestions, reviews, or critiques? Thanks!**

**Sincerely,**

**F. F.**


	4. Why Us?

**A/N: Sorry it took so long, but I had my birthday and everything! Oh my god, I am soooooo happy that the KOTW book is finally finished! I've been reading Derek's blog, etc. Enjoy!**

"Are you positive that's what they said?"

"Certain."

Erskine Ravel sighed and rubbed his temples, leaning back in his chair with his feet up and legs crossed on top of the desk. He had decided for an informal meeting inside of his office, with only the detectives and other Elders present. The stress of being Grand Mage had taken an obvious toll on him; dark circles ringed his eyes, and his hair was flecked with specks of grey. Even his voice sounded tired and overused, Valkyrie observed carefully.

"This is bad news for the Irish Sanctuary." He sighed again and stared straight at the detectives. "Why is it always us? We always seem to have to go save the world for all the other Sanctuaries, and get all of the problems too." He cracked a weak smile at this, and then turned to where Ghastly and Madame Mist were sitting. Both had remained silent through Skulduggery's explanation, and Valkyrie's frequent interjections.

"Any ideas?"

"Other than getting the book from China, no. And if she did manage to save the book from the explosion, and even if she would let us read it, we all know that there would be some price attached." Ghastly finally spoke up after the long pause that had followed Erskine's question.

"That's a lot of ifs. And the question is: is it a price we're willing to pay?" Madame Mist coldly asked Ghastly.

Ghastly didn't reply.

Valkyrie coughed softly, and all eyes – or eye sockets in Skulduggery's case – turned to her. "Are you sure that there are no other copies?"

"If there are, then we don't know about them. It's ironic isn't it? All of the other copies were burned during the Magicarnus Plague." Ravel snorted. "It's like someone was specifically targeting them, but from what we heard, they were destroyed by natural causes."

"And the dragon?" Valkyrie questioned.

"Have you ever **seen** a dragon?"

"Uhhh…No?"

"Good. Pray you never do."

"Why? From what I've read on them, they seem to have many vulnerable spots." Valkyrie said, a hint of confusion and curiosity in her voice.

"Vulnerable spots, maybe, if you can get past the fire, magic, teeth, and claws. Did I mention the teeth and claws? My advice, if you ever see one, think the first three memorable thoughts you can, because that's how long you're going to have to think before it kills you."

"It's out of the question, then." Valkrie stated.

"You think?" The sarcasm was evident in Skulduggery's comment, but Valkyrie ignored him.

There was a knock on the door, and a small cough that followed.

"You can enter." Ravel called out.

The door knob turned, and the solid oak door slid open, creaking on its hinges.

"You really should get that oiled." Madame Mist pointed out. "It's unbecoming of the Grand Mage."

Ravel chuckled, his face finally lighting up, eased of worry for that moment. "It's the last line of defense. If a person – or creature – gets past the magic wards, then the simple creak of the door would alert me of its presence."

"If something was strong enough to get past the wards and the Cleavers, what chance do you have against it?" Valkyrie asked.

Ravel just glared at her.

"No offence or anything!" Valkyrie said hurriedly, trying to make up for ruining his back-up plan. The soft cough of the mage who entered saved her from any more of his glare. The mage was short, and had a round-belly that suggested he didn't miss many meals. He opened his mouth to speak.

"There have been sightings of Miss Tanith Low, and of her fugitive boyfriend…" Ghastly growled when he said that, and the man swallowed nervously. "Excuse me; it was a slip of the tongue. Her 'acquaintance'. You asked me to inform you if we did, Elder Bespoke." He addressed his last statement to Ghastly, who nodded.

"Thank you. Do you know where?"

"All over the Dublin area. We haven't been able to get a good reading on the because they appear, then disappear immediately."

"Thank you. You are dismissed." Ravel said. The man bowed, then left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Skulduggery turned to Ghastly. "You better not do anything hasty."

"Who said I was?" Ghastly had stood up from his chair and had started to step out the door.

Skulduggery would have frowned if he had a face, but his feelings were evident in his voice. "I'm not a detective for nothing. And I'm not an idiot either."

"Did I ever imply that you were?" Ghastly asked mildly.

Skulduggery stood and faced Ghastly. "I know that look in your eye. You're about to do something that you'll regret later."

Ghastly laughed, but the laugh sounded hollow and fake to Valkyrie's ears. He wasn't acting like the jovial person she usually knew. She rose to her feet, and subconsciously realised that Ravel and Mist had done the same.

"Contrary to your beliefs, Skulduggery, I am not about to do something that I'll regret, nor something that is hastily planned." With that, Ghastly strode out of the room. Skulduggery moved to intercept him, but Ghastly waved his hand, and Skulduggery wasn't fast enough to stop himself from slamming into the bookcase. The books rattled then crashed down on top of him. Valkyrie ran over and helped him to his feet, but by the time she had whipped around, Ghastly was gone.

"Damn." She muttered. "What the hell does he think he can do to stop them?"

"You're beginning to sound like Skulduggery." Erskine commented.

"And that's a bad thing?" She held his gaze, but he just shrugged and turned away. Skulduggery groaned, and Valkyrie faced him, worry etched in her face. "Are you alright?" She looked closely at him, trying to determine if any thing was broken.

"Never been better." He shrugged a thick leather-bound book off his jacket, and let it hit the floor, ignoring the gasp of outrage and protest from Madame Mist. "He got away?"

"Yeah." Valkyrie looked back to where the door stood open. "We're going after him." It wasn't even a question, but a statement full of pure determination.

Skulduggery sighed. "I suppose we have to. I can't stand by and watch my friend be torn to pieces." He grabbed his hat tipped it to the Elders. "I suppose we must be off."

"Not before we send a team of Cleavers with you." Erskine replied.

_But a team of Cleavers would only hinder us!_ Valkyrie almost shouted it at him, but then kept the thought to herself. There wasn't any point in making trouble when they needed to get out of here as fast as they could.

Madame Mist frowned. "We don't have the resources to do so…" Erskine narrowed his eyes at her.

"Our fellow Council member, and friend, is out there, and you propose we do nothing?" His voice was incredulous.

"I did nothing of the sort. I was merely showing my faith in the detectives abilities." She said coldly.

Valkyrie almost snorted at that statement. It was obvious to everyone's eyes that Madame Mist harbored a special dislike for her and Skul. But, then again, who didn't she harbor dislike for? She shook her head and returned to listening to the conversation happening in front of her. Skulduggery, it seemed, had jumped in as well while she had been thinking,

"I don't care if you send the Cleavers or not, but I'm leaving right this instant." Skulduggery told them. He strode out of the room while everyone stood silently watching him leave.

Erskine started to speak, but Valkyrie held up a finger. "Just wait."

A minute later Skulduggery strode back in. "I forgot my hat." He said, as if daring them to comment on his arrival. "Now I'm leaving this instant!" He walked back out the door.

Smirking, Valkyrie followed him, as he glowered at her. "You couldn't have brought me my hat?"

"And miss the fun of watching you have to come back and get it? Never!" She laughed, and they continued past the exit to the Bentley.

"But my dignity!" He protested as he unlocked the car. Valkyrie just laughed and didn't reply.

"It's off to save the world, now, I suppose." She sighed.

"Yet again."

He hit the acceleration and Valkyrie watched the Sanctuary fade behind them,

**A/N: Sorry it took so long! Like it? Hate it? Review!**

**Sincerely yours,**

**F. F.**

**P.S. I thought of posting two stories called:**

**Dark Emotions, Vile Thoughts - A Vilequesse story**

**AND**

**Twisting Shadows – A story on how Skulduggery lost his family up to the present – with some Valduggery**

**What do you think?**


	5. An Almost Revelation

A/N: Hey! I'm back! Yes, yes, I know. I've been away for over a month. Where was I? Oh…um…you know…school…and…um…at home... AT HOME? Yeah. Moral of the story, kids, is to always listen to your parents, always clean your room, and never stick your hand flat out at a soccer ball that your dad kicked, because broken wrists suck. Badly.

Stats: KOTW

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Also, I've got some replies to reviews here:

Sky667: Yes, obviously I am writing more. Please don't die; your family might sue me.

Dragones: Thanks! I try to sound like Derek but I don't know if it's working.

Eversoslightlyunusual: I enjoyed reading your review tremendously. It had real critique! Thank you!

Now without further ado…your chapter!

_The fire lit up in her hand._

No, no, no. That wasn't right.

_The fire ignited in her palm with a whoosh._

Kenny Dunne grimaced, muttering angrily to himself as his bloodshot eyes glared at the computer screen. The light from it blazed out, illuminating the desk area while turning the rest of the room into a shadowy half-darkness. The desk itself was cluttered with papers. Anxious first drafts and notes were hastily scrawled on to tiny slips of lined paper and strewn in disarray, and empty soda cans littered the floor.

Kenny tapped his fingers restlessly – alternating between the keys, the desk and the delete button. Every word had to be perfect. There was no room for mistakes in writing, or else the critical fans and readers would jump on you in the blink of an eye. Not like it really mattered in his case though. None of his readers would know the difference between fact and fiction – they would only know what **he **told them. And even if they did know the difference, it wasn't as if they would –or could– speak up about it without being jumped on themselves.

Kenny smiled suddenly, looking like the poster-child for insanity with his unkempt hair and his wild eyes.

_The flames danced in her palm, with their little snake heads weaving through her fingers._

That was it! The right words had come, and Kenny grinned in appreciation. The right words always came if he was patient enough – which it seemed he almost never was. It was the reason his news articles never made front page. Well, that and the fact his stories revolved around ideas that the public was hardly interested in. Magic was one of those ideas, but this time it would be different!

_It has to be. _Kenny thought grimly, surveying the dirty apartment with distaste. He consoled himself by thinking about how soon he would be moving into his new apartment – a lavish, well-furnished one with a doorman and a view of the city.

He smiled once more; stuck in his daydream of what could soon be a reality – in fact a reality starting as soon as tomorrow. Ah, yes. Tomorrow. He had scheduled an appointment with a news broadcasting station in hopes that his video would be shown. He had sent it to them, and they replied with an overwhelming response that they would enjoy his company most dearly. They were clambering for more details, like whom was the girl fighting? And who was the maniac trying to kill her? Kenny had told them that all would be revealed, but only if they gave him a hansom sum for his information. At first the news company was hesitant, but when he threatened to go to another company, the decided to pay him.

Kenny's excitement was uncontainable. Finally, he was going to reveal Stephanie Edgley to the world!

Stifling a yawn behind his hand, Kenny's eyes meandered towards the clock at the bottom of the screen, and he jumped up with a shocked cry. Was it really that late, or to be precise, early? Kenny shook his head in disbelief, flicking off the monitor and stumbling to the bathroom, narrowing his eyes against the harsh, white light.

His thoughts were hazy as he grabbed his toothbrush and fumbled with the toothpaste, accidentally squeezing out what resembled a minty, green worm. Still in a daze, he splashed some tap water on his face, and finally noticed the big rings around his eyes and the uncombed hair. How had he let it get this bad? Was any story or interview worth this much? Maybe he should just stop and give up. He could have a normal life again and forget about magic and all the other craziness. Except it wasn't just any story…

Oh right, the Story. Kenny shook himself to try and clear away the haze that had been clouding his thoughts. It was the one story that was going to make him rich and famous. And it was most certainly worth that much.

Kenny dragged himself out of the bathroom and into his cramped bedroom. Well, sort of bedroom. It was hardly big enough to hold a bed, let alone be called a room. It was more of a closet, and a small one at that.

_What had he been thinking when he decided to rent this apartment? _He reflected incredulously.

His daydream made his whole life seem acutely sharp and awful to his senses, and he despised the fact that – right now– it wasn't fancy or lavish. But he was too exhausted to think about anything anymore, not until he had gotten a good two hours rest. He shrugged his thoughts off, and collapsed on to the bed with his clothes still on, unconscious the moment his head touched the pillow. Asleep, he didn't notice the box perched some-what precariously (as if dropped by a pair of squabbling pigeons…) on his stone window ledge, a box shrouded in magic and evil, carved with ruins to contain the thing inside.

**A/N: Sorry about that, it's a bit short. So shall it be Fletcherie, Valduggery, or other? Please vote! If not I'm probably going to go with Valduggery – just a warning. Thank you people! The next chapter will be up soon! **

**-FF**

**P.S. – My number of hits and visitors shot up unexpectedly this month…hmmm. :D**


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